To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to involve existing head teachers in the new professional headship qualification; and if his Department will fund in full the training costs for existing head teachers. [19850]

The National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) is designed for aspiring head teachers rather than those already in post. We have asked the Teacher Training Agency to develop a separate training programme for existing head teachers, based on the same standards as the NPQH, for introduction from September 1998. Support for heads following the training programme will be available through the Standards fund at the normal 50 per cent. grant rate.